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Kirsten Engel

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Kirsten Engel
Member of the Arizona Senate
from the 10th district
In office
January 11, 2021 – September 8, 2021
Preceded byDavid Bradley
Succeeded byStephanie Stahl Hamilton
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives
from the 10th district
In office
January 9, 2017 – January 11, 2021
Preceded by
Succeeded byStephanie Stahl Hamilton
Personal details
Born1961/1962 (age 62–63)[1]
Chicago, Illinois
Political partyDemocratic
Children1
Education
WebsiteCampaign website

Kirsten Engel is an American educator and politician who served as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives and the Arizona Senate for the 10th district from 2017 to 2021. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Engel started her career at the Environmental Protection Agency, and later worked as an assistant state attorney general before transitioning to education. Engel has been a professor at the University of Arizona since 2005, specializing in environmental and administrative law.

In 2022, Engel ran for U.S. House of Representative from Arizona's 6th congressional district but narrowly lost. She is running in a rematch against Juan Ciscomani in 2024 for the same congressional district.

Early life and education

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Engel was born and raised in Chicago.[2] She is the daughter of a public school teacher and a theologian.[3] She graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 1983.[4][5] During college, she worked a variety of jobs to pay her tuition including waitressing and working as a National Park Service ranger.[3] Engel then went to Northwestern University School of Law and graduated in 1986.[4]

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After law school, Engel clerked for Judge Myron H. Bright of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. She then worked for the United States Environmental Protection Agency and later for Earthjustice.[6][7]

Engel later served as an assistant attorney general in the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office until 2005.[6] Afterwards, she joined the faculty at the University of Arizona's James E. Rogers College of Law where she teaches environmental and administrative law.[7][8]

Arizona House of Representatives

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Elections

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Engel was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2016 and assumed office in January 2017.[9] Engel did not seek re-election to the House in 2020 and instead ran for the state senate.[10][11]

Committee assignments

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  • Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee
  • Judiciary Committee
  • Judiciary and Public Safety Committee
  • Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee[3]

Arizona Senate

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Elections

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Engel ran for the Arizona Senate in 2020. She won the election and assumed office in January 2021 and served until her resignation in September 2021 to run for congress.[10][11]

Committee assignments

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  • Ethics Committee
  • Finance Committee
  • Judiciary Committee
  • Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee[12]

Congressional candidacy

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In 2022, Engel launched her congressional campaign for Arizona's 6th congressional district.[10][11] She lost narrowly to Republican Juan Ciscomani.[13] She is running in a rematch against Ciscomani in the 2024 election for Arizona's 6th congressional district.[14]

Political positions

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Environment and energy

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During her 2022 campaign, Engel highlighted her support for expanding the capture of solar energy in Arizona.[15] She has expressed support for stronger federal regulations to reduce air and water pollution from power plants[16] and has expressed the need for policies that reduce reliance on gasoline-powered vehicles.[17] Engel is also committed to addressing Arizona's water issues through long-term conservation strategies, which include promoting sustainable water use and securing clean water for the state's future.[18]

Education

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Engel supports increasing funding for public schools and has said that observing conditions at her daughter's public school motivated her to run for office initially.[7] She is a strong supporter of education and workforce development programs provided by community colleges, universities, and labor unions, which equip workers with skills for high-quality jobs and sustainable careers.[19]

Reproductive rights

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Engel is a supporter for reproductive rights, and supports the restoration of Roe v. Wade as federal law. She has expressed a commitment to protecting women's rights to make personal healthcare decisions without government interference.[1]

Immigration

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Engel characterized the situation at the U.S.–Mexico border as "a humanitarian crisis" and expressed support for reforming asylum-seeking processes.[20]

Personal life

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Engel is married with one daughter and lives in Tucson, Arizona.[21]

References

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  1. ^ a b Gersony, Laura. "Arizona 6th Congressional District candidates: Where Ciscomaini, Engel stand on issues". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  2. ^ Dylan Smith (March 19, 2021). "State lawmaker Kirsten Engel announces run to fill Kirkpatrick's seat in Congress". TucsonSentinel.com. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "House Member: Kirsten Engel". Arizona State Legislature. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  4. ^ a b "See Jane Run: Three Northwestern Law Alumnae Share Their Experiences in Politics". June 11, 2018.
  5. ^ "Kirsten Engel CV" (PDF). University of Arizona.
  6. ^ a b Schmidt, Caitlin (July 23, 2016). "3 Democrats vying for two House seats in Legislative District 10". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c Parker, Sam (October 10, 2021). "UA professor and congressional candidate hosts town hall on campus". The Daily Wildcat. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  8. ^ Multiple sources:
  9. ^ "State of Arizona Official Canvass 2016 General Election November 8, 2016" (PDF). Phoenix, Arizona: Secretary of State of Arizona. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c Williams, Jordan (March 19, 2021). "Arizona state senator announces bid for Kirkpatrick's seat". The Hill. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c "Engel quits Arizona Senate to focus on District 2 congressional race". KSAZ-TV. Associated Press. September 8, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  12. ^ "Senate Member". www.azleg.gov. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  13. ^ "AP says Ciscomani defeats Engel in Tucson's Congressional District 6". Arizona Daily Star. November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  14. ^ Gersony, Laura. "Arizona 6th Congressional District candidates: Where Ciscomaini, Engel stand on issues". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  15. ^ Estrada, Melissa. "Here are the candidates running in Arizona's new 6th Congressional District". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  16. ^ Botts, Lindsey. "Push for environmental justice in underserved communities gains traction in Arizona". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  17. ^ "Dem candidate advocated making 'it a pain to drive' on panel for group that pushed 'usage-based' driving fees".
  18. ^ Star, Kirsten Engel Special to the Arizona Daily (January 18, 2023). "Local Opinion: Don't squander our investment in Arizona's water future". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  19. ^ Kavaler, Tara. "Juan Ciscomani and Kirsten Engel: US House rivals discuss abortion rights, southern Arizona's needs". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  20. ^ "Congressional District 6 Democratic candidates debate immigration, inflation and more". Arizona PBS. May 18, 2022. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  21. ^ "House Member – Kirsten Engel". Arizona legislature. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
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Arizona Senate
Preceded by Member of the Arizona Senate
from the 10th district
2021 		Succeeded by
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